War Pawn
by ZiraUzu
Summary: Welcome to a world of chaos and misfortune where the strong are weak and the weak are dead. Magic has been sucked from the world and those who still have it are hunted down and chained into instruments of war. With a revolution brewing beneath the surface one only has two choices: Run or fight. But it's hard to pick a side when the only one left with magic is yourself... /NaLu/
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** War Pawn

**Genre: **Adventure/Fantasy

**Character Focus:** Natsu

**Couple: **NaLu, maybe more in the future.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **OOC

**Inspiration: **You Can't Take Me by Bryan Adams

**POV: **Natsu, unless stated otherwise, or there is an obvious change in who is telling the story.

**World: **AU

**Summary:** _"You are different, you have power, and you will be punished . . ."_ He was different and could do things that others could not, so he was locked away. Rebel, show your power, and take control. Or run, hide and pray they don't find you. The war has begun. So what will you do . . . ? /NaLu/

**War Pawn: Chapter 1**

_ZiraUzu_

(March 17, 2014)

~X~

_He's a threat. Find him. Dispose of him; he will ruin everything I've worked for._

Those words had been a chain reaction. Once said they started something, something that could not be stopped nor delayed and it brought more destruction to this world that good. You hear things and you see things, children have seen them and so have the old…they shouldn't have. Nobody should have to see. Nobody should see what _I _have seen.

_Do you plan to kill him? He could be useful._

Destruction. Death. These things are inevitable, someday they will come. It all depends on when.

_Why would I not? Useful you say? Bah, only if you can catch him, put a chain on him and drown him in shackles. It's a task easier said than done._

I've developed the habit of calling these words 'The Double D's'. Name's retarded. I know. But it's something simple, easy to remember and it makes it easier to explain what's going on in this hell hole. People know. They understand they won't be seeing someone again when the phrase it brought up.

_Not impossible though._

They don't question. Instead they fall to their knees; some cry and some turn their faces towards the sky, as if they're searching the heavens for their loved one. And me, I leave them to their grieving; it's all I can do.

_Fine then, have it your way. Find him and lock him away. He may be a valuable pawn in this game called war._

I've wasted a childhood on hoping, praying that something, anything, was going to reach down and pluck me from this hell. Looking back on it I don't wonder if my hoping was a waste, I know it was.

Then again, who am I to talk?

_Send them out. His life is mine…_

I caused this.

~X~

"Being different is good, being different makes you unique."

I shook my head, how naïve. I watched from my dark corner in the rain drenched alley. Squatting on my haunches, I listened to the young mother as she pulled her son down the barren street, trying to get him out of the rain. She was smiling at him, as only a mother can do as she whispered the comforting words, but I could see the lie in her eyes.

She knew, just as I did that being different in this world was not a blessing but a curse. But then again what else could she have said?

The young boy smiled; believing the fib, or pretending too. Most people think children are stupid, that they don't understand half the things that adults are saying. They are not, they understand, but they're smart enough to pretend they don't. This boy was smart.

I stood and backed into the alleyway behind me, only turning to go when the mother and her child disappeared into a small, shabby shop that was still in business. Most shops that were still open didn't have merchandise to sell, save the old bakery and occasionally the coal mine when there was work. Now shops were refugees, a place for people to stay when traveling, when the weather turned sour or when the Collectors came through.

My bare feet were silent against the stone of the deserted road. Once Magnolia had been a place of life, families lived here, business flourished, it was happy. Now it was dead, run down, practically a ghost town. The people here never stayed for long, only stopping in for a night or to gather what little supplies the city had left to offer. Even the grand Kardia Cathedral, that once stood tall and proud was now a pile of rubble and forgotten walls.

Fairy Tail was in no better shape.

I had never actually seen the guild building until now. When I was younger it was legendary and was said to be a getaway for any mage that wanted to make a living through magic. Now it was gone, burnt to the ground and turned to rubble like the old cathedral. Its purpose long gone now that there wasn't a mage left in the world.

I wasn't sure how long I stood there, staring at the remains. It must have been some time, for when I came to my senses the rain had soaked through my travel cloak, causing the wet material to stick to my skin. My feet had gone numb, but that didn't surprise me, I wasn't sure when the last time I wore shoes was, so my feet where always cold. I could hear the sound of approaching horses through the rain, their hooves loud against the stone.

I stepped off the street and into the alley just as the riders brought their horses to a stop in front of Fairy Tail. The steeds they rode were ebony, darker than the night sky with eyes the color of dried blood. Most people thought the horses were mutated, that their eyes had changed because the Collectors actually did feed them blood. Their coats, which had once been bright, according to the people, were stained with the death that the Collectors left behind when they rode away. The Collectors wore black as well. The color of the armor was a twin to their steeds' coats and laced with red and dark gold designs. The symbol of the Collectors stood out on their backs, two swords crossed with a snake circling around them as it bit into a broken crown.

I shifted backwards, disappearing farther into the darkness of the alley as I watched the Collectors. They were shouting at each other, barking orders and then shooting them down. One Collector barked louder than the others, causing silence among the rest. It sounded female, which was rare but not unheard of, she was pointing back the way I had come.

I didn't wait around to see what would happen next. While they were distracted, I slipped down the alleyway, coming out at the edge of the city on the other side. Then I disappeared into the forest.

xXx

I headed south, towards Hargeon the port city.

And sadly, I had to travel by carriage.

I hated carriages, the sway and bounce made me feel sick, but I had to ride one in order to make it to Hargeon, as well as throw off the trail of any Collectors that may have noticed my presence in Magnolia. I was surprisingly glad that I hadn't eaten anything in almost a day, for my stomach was doing flip flops in my gut and heaving nothing was better than heaving up a meal that wouldn't soon be replaced.

"You okay back there, son?" The carriage driver was a nice old man in his mid seventies. Though at the moment, I was curious if he was actually concerned about me or his cargo of cabbages, corn and carrots.

"F-fine, I'm fine." I managed to spit out before I had to cover my mouth.

"Well just hold on, we'll be in Hargeon in a minute or two."

"C-can you s-see the city from here?"

"Sure can."

"Then I'll take my leave." My stomach jolted as the carriage came to a sudden halt. I took my time crawling out of the back, slowly lowering myself to the ground, which was damp from the recent rain.

"You sure you're ok, son?" The old man had climbed down from his place behind the horses and was now leaning over me, concern present in his features. I nodded and handed the man a gold piece for his trouble. He gazed at it, his eyes wide for a moment before he tipped his hat to me and boarded the carriage. I had no doubt he was wondering how I had gotten my hands on a gold piece. They weren't easy to come by nowadays.

As the carriage disappeared down the hill I could see Hargeon in the distance, and already I could see that it too was in sorry shape. I wondered how sorry.

xXx

It wasn't as bad as Magnolia, not nearly as bad, but it was still in poor form. The harbor had been closed, cutting off trade from the sea. Propaganda posters for war decorated every building. There were fewer refugees there and almost half of the shops still had business, even if it was slow.

There was a news bulletin next to the port and a small crowd had gathered around it, most likely reading the latest news on the war. As I passed by I noticed wanted posters on the board, curiosity spiked my interest and I joined the crowd just as it was beginning to disperse. Most of the posters were for the unwanted pickpocket; however one of the posters was for someone else: a rough on the run. I grabbed the poster from the board and shoved it in my pocket before heading into the center of the city.

Farther into the city I stumbled across a small marketplace. I reached into my pockets and pulled out the few coins that I had left, two gold, five silver, a half platinum dollar coin, and eleven copper pennies. Quickly I shoved the coins back into my pocket; it wasn't wise to leave money out for the naked eye to see.

I was making my way down the street, looking at the few products the market had when I saw her. Remember what I said about pickpockets and how they were unwanted? Now I could see why they had wanted posters for them in Hargeon. This one was skillful and moved with a sneaky grace that even I didn't possess and trust me; I was pretty sneaky when I wanted to be.

She walked by person after person, plucking their purses and wallets from their sides like it was as simple as breathing, each victim oblivious to her sticky fingers. Once again, I slipped back into the shadows of an alleyway; I was not about to be a victim of this pickpocket.

Then I noticed the symbol on her hand.

Curious. I inched my way back into the street, tailing her as she moved through the market. She moved like a dancer as she twisted and weaved across the street. Occasionally she would stop to hand a few coins to the younger children along the edge, patting their heads before she offered a smile and danced away again.

She wouldn't have noticed me if it hadn't been for the child.

The pickpocket had stopped in front of a young girl. Dirt was smeared across her cheeks and ratty dress, her hair was pulled into two pigtails and was caked with grease, indicating she had not had a bath in quite some time. The blonde smiled at the girl and folded a few coins into she small palm but when she stood to leave the child had pulled her back down. I watched as she fisted the blonde's shirt and pulled her close to whisper in her ear.

Brown eyes flicked to mine.

She turned back to the girl, whispering something into her small ear before pulling a small loaf of bread and folding that into the youngster's fingers as well.

Curiosity was what I saw when her brown orbs flashed back to mine. Curiosity, mixed with a slice of growing suspicion. She knew, she knew I had been following her.

I raised my head to wave and offered a smile, which she returned but hers was coy and guarded.

She bolted.

I swore as I hurried after her, knocking over pedestrians and stall venders as I fought to keep sight of her.

I had made a mistake. When I moved my arm my cloak had shifted, revealing the long sword I carried at my waist. I didn't actually know how to use a sword, I only carried it to ward off pickpockets and other unwanted company, but she didn't know that. Her brown eyes had landed onto the silvery weapon and widened, then she took off, weaving between the people of the market in order to escape.

She thought I was one of the disguised guards of Hargeon.

The disguised guards were a form of security that the city had developed in order to keep crime rates low when the economy went bad after the beginning of the war. Their main priority was to keep peace throughout the markets in a nonviolent manner, only carrying weapons for extreme occasions. However, there had been a few cases that had turned violent, which had ultimately earned the guards a sour reputation.

"Hey wait!" I yelled as I sprinted after her.

She was fast, I had trouble keeping up to her, and I would have lost her instantly if not for her blonde hair; which stuck out like a sore thumb in the sea of dark haired people that walked around the market. She had run from guards before, her movements were quick and graceful as she slipped through the people. Then she ducked into the alleyways. I cursed and turned into the alley next to me.

Luck apparently was on my side today. And that's saying something, I'm never lucky. But as soon as I reached the end of the alley she came bowling into me. We hit the ground hard, or at least _I _hit the ground.

"Oww," The blonde moaned as she rubbed her head. It had smashed into my jaw during our collision, which had left the lower half of my face pulsing, but I didn't have the time to think about that now. Before she had a chance to recover I wrapped my arms around her waist and flipped my body so she was trapped between me and the ground.

The blonde's eyes flashed, she squeaked and thrashed her legs as she began to push against me. I could sense the fear coming off her, the confusion; she had never been caught before so she didn't know how to handle it. Then she started to scream.

I clamped a hand over her mouth, muffling her cries.

"Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you, understand?"

She nodded and I removed my hand.

"Get off me! Somebody hel—,"

I picked her up and hauled her over to the brick wall, pinning her between it and my body, I shoved a hand over her mouth again to keep her quiet. She was terrified; I could see the tears beginning to form in her chocolate orbs. I sighed and relaxed my hold a bit, "I'm not going to hurt you," I whispered again, "Just calm down and listen."

She nodded. Slowly I took my hand away from her mouth. The blonde breathed deeply and slowly, trying to catch her breath. "You scared the absolute shit out of me." She gasped a few times, "I've never run so hard in my life. I thought I was going to pee myself."

"Sorry about that."

"You should be," She glared at me and gave me a firm shove. "Back up would ya? Hmph, don't know why I was so scared, you don't even look like a Hargeon Collector." Gradually the blonde composed herself, her icy glare still aimed toward me. "So, what do you want, I don't have time for this."

"Your hand."

Her eyes flickered down quickly before returning to mine. "What about it?"

"That mark belongs to Fairy Tail?"

"No. No it doesn't." Then she was gone.

I blinked, surprised by how quickly she had disappeared. Well that was a waste of time. I sighed; deciding it was time to head to Crocus, I had been here long enough. Perhaps the capital was in better condition than Magnolia and Hargeon. I was pulling the hood of my travel cloak over my head and readjusting my sword when I noticed my scarf was gone.

"Damn little pickpocket."

xXx

Tracking's my strongest skill, but that doesn't mean I'm not able to do it. However, since it's not something I'm particularly good at it takes precious time and more concentration than a professional would have to use.

The rain returned as I followed the pickpocket through Hargeon. It was pouring and the drops pelted my wet scalp. I had followed the blonde all the way across the town until eventually she stopped at the edge of the city at a little tavern that sat in the far corner of the port. The sign that hung off the building said "Fairy Tavern". Not only was she a pickpocket, she was also a liar.

The tavern went silent when I slammed the doors open. A few of the females in the room squeaked and I heard more than one glass hit the floor. I saw the blonde at a table off to the left. When she spotted me her face went pale as she stood from her chair and set her beer on the table.

She swore under her breath.

"Give me back my scarf, dammit," I yelled as I made my way over to her. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked away.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Like hell you don't."

"I do—."

"Lucky!" The blonde flinched as a booming voice came from the back of the tavern. I watched as a short, old man made his way over to us, followed by a young scarlet haired woman. He was angry. "Just who have you brought into our tavern?" He hissed.

"It's not my fault—,"

"Hahaha, so much for being 'Lucky' Lucy Heartphilia," Not far from where we stood a raven haired male sat at a table, "Maybe we should call you 'Unlucky' Lucy from now on. What kind of pickpocket can't shake a common traveler? Some skill you possess." Heartphilia, I had heard that name somewhere before.

"Shut up, Gray!"

He too had the mark of Fairy Tail. I noticed that the scarlet haired woman also had it when she stomped over to the raven haired male and smacked him on the back of the head. The old man was probably the same way, along with everybody else in the room. "You're all from Fairy Tail?"

The old man turned his gaze toward me. He looked tired, like the war had drained his energy long ago and he was fighting to continue on. There was power behind that gaze though; this old man wouldn't give up so easily.

"We are not." I turned my attention back to the blonde. Her eyes held a longing sadness and as I glanced around the room I could see she wasn't the only one. "We have no magic. Fairy Tail was a guild of mages; you need magic to be a mage. We are simply a support group of Fairy Tail that is against the war."

"But you all have the mark."

"You don't need magic to wear the mark." This time it was the raven haired male, Gray. "It's simply a symbol of support, nothing else."

"So nobody here is originally from Fairy Tail?"

"Master Makarov is," The blonde pointed to the short old man, "But he's helpless now, the Collectors took his magic years ago."

"I see." I turned to the blonde and held out my hand. "If you would be so kind, I would like my scarf so I may be on my way." Reluctantly the blonde, Lucky Lucy as they had called her, reached under the table and pulled my scarf from a tattered old bag. She handed it to me, her soft fingers brushing mine as she did so. I turned to leave.

"Just who are you boy?" It was the old man.

"Just a wanderer passing through," I stated. I'd only taken one step when a small voice suddenly spoke up.

"He's Natsu Dragneel."

A gasp passed through the tavern. My body went stiff as I glanced over at the girl who had spoken. It was a child, no older than twelve at least, she was small and her face was framed by dark blue hair that cascaded down her back. In her arms she held a small white cat and her eyes held intelligence well beyond her years.

I've mentioned it before and I'll say it again, children are not stupid. But that doesn't mean they always know when to keep their mouths shut. In my head I was begging her to remain quiet, pleading that she wouldn't say anything more. I should have known better. Begging never got you anywhere.

"You're the one the Collectors are looking for, the pawn to winning this war. You're the Dragon Slayer."

xXx

**Authors Note: Is it totally crazy for me to write a multi-chapter fic even though I almost never update any of my stories? Probably. Is it going to stop me? Nope, not at all. I'm excited; this is my first multi-chapter fic on fanfiction!**

**I know this story starts out really slow, or at least I think it starts really slow. And I know it might seem a little confusing now, but bear with me! There will be NaLu in this story, but it'll probably be a slowly developed love.**

**One last thing, I would just like to say that I am a **_**very slow**_** updater. I am going to be a freshman in college and do have a life, so I apologize if updates are slow, however I will do my best to make the wait worth it. I will try to update every month! Yes, I know it's such a long wait O.O but if I am able to find the time, new chapters will come earlier.**

**Please Review!**

**Thanks to everybody who took the time to read!**

**I apologize for any mistakes I may have made!**

**Love, ZiraUzu**


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** War Pawn

**Genre: **Adventure/Fantasy

**Character Focus:** Natsu

**Couple: **NaLu, maybe more in the future.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **OOC

**World: **AU

**Summary:** _"You are different, you have power, and you will be punished . . ."_ He was different and could do things that others could not, so he was locked away. Rebel, show your power, and take control, or run, hide and pray they don't find you. The war has begun. So what will you do . . . ? /NaLu/

**War Pawn: Chapter 2**

_ZiraUzu_

(September 8, 2014)

xXx

_Hargion. . .The forgotten city of Magnolia, which is it?_

Fear is a funny emotion. It's puzzling, and it moves a person it strange ways. It had never been an emotion that I was particularly familiar with.

_There was a trail! In-in Magnolia! He was in Magnolia up until very recently. Now, all my sources point to Hargion._

What was there for me to fear in this world? Everyone I cared for was dead before I had the chance to realize I cared, so that scratched the fear of losing a loved one. I wasn't weak, that diminished the fear of being overpowered. I had always been alone, how can one fear solitude when they have never felt the company of another?

_Then move you're sorry ass, before I decide that it's no longer useful. You are easily replaced._

I have never known the emotion called fear. I've never had a reason to. So why was I feeling it now, for this sorry little group of people in some run down tavern? I didn't know these people, so why should I be obligated to care?

_I want him found, alive or dead, it doesn't matter to me. Though the latter is rather tempting. . ._

Perhaps it's because I've always been a sympathetic person, and these people don't know what they've brought upon themselves by uttering my name.

X

Chaos.

Sound ripped through my ears as the tavern exploded with voices. People were screaming over each other, while some just screamed in general. I'm pretty sure a few of them were screaming at me as well; don't ask me what, because I have no idea. Let's just say it was a variety of things.

The young girl was staring at me.

She stared at me with those brown eyes, as if she expected me to do something. To fix what she had caused. But this was not _my _problem. This was not _my _mistake to fix.

"Quiet, the lot of ya! Shut your traps!"

The tavern fell silent.

The old man heaved himself onto a nearby table. He wasn't a towering figure, which made him incapable of looking down on the people that stood around him, waiting to hear what he said. He didn't need the height to be intimidating however; he was already capable of that without the extra inches.

"What's with the fuss?" He boomed. "This here is but one boy, one boy, who is incapable of causing us any harm, even if he so wished it. So calm yourselves. Now."

I chuckled quietly under my breath. "You're a stupid fool."

The old man turned to me, his black eyes narrowing as he stared me down. There wasn't a trace of kindness or understanding on his face now, just raw determination. "And just how am I foolish?"

"You think you're safe?" I hissed. I glazed up at the old man, my eyes narrowing as the anger began to seep into my system. "You're an old man! An old man with no magic, and no way of protecting yourself from the event that, that girl," I pointed towards the young bluette with the cat, "Has caused."

"Leave Wendy out of this! She's only a child," Lucy banged her fist on the table and anger flashed across her face.

"You're a dead man walking." I hissed at Makarov before I turned on the blonde. "Don't kid yourself."

Lucy blinked at me before she clenched her teeth and snarled at me. I took a step towards her, and then another. She didn't move. "That child, as you called her, speaks the name of a dead man." Another step, "She knew the name, which means she knows the stories surrounding it. " Another. "And she's doomed you all by saying it." I hissed. We stood chest to chest now.

"Rumors. That's all they are." Lucy growled in my face.

"You wanna bet?" I grabbed Lucy's chin and felt her go stiff. I tilted her head slowly to the right and leaned forward until my lips touched her ear, "Then wait around for awhile." I whispered, "Wait until the Collectors come and rip you and your friends into tiny little pieces."

I stepped away from Lucky Lucy as her legs gave out on her. She crumbled to the floor, pressing her palms into the splintering wood. Acceptance is never an easy thing. It's painful, and rather gifted at tearing a person's soul to pieces.

I turned back to the old man, who was watching Lucy from his place on the table. His expression was calculating, guarded. "Find yourself another man, I'm not who you think I am and frankly I don't want to be. I'm not the hero of this war, nor am I its pawn. I'm just a simple traveler. Nothing more."

Makarov nodded once, his eyes closed and his brow was pulled together in thought. "Very well," He said after one long moment, "Take your leave from us then, traveler. You've caused enough grief within my family. Let's not add false hope to the list of things they are to burden."

I gave a slight bow of my head before moving towards the door. At the threshold I paused. I could feel the stares as I glanced over my shoulder, "For your own safety, clear out. Within the next twenty four hours leave, or you won't live another day."

I stepped through the tavern door and disappeared into the rain soaked streets.

xXx

"Lucky."

I glared up at Makarov from my place on the floor before glancing back at the splinters that protruded from my palms. I hissed as I pulled another from my skin and allowed it to drop into the pile that had formed beside me.

"Look at me, child." His voice was soft but I could tell he was becoming impatient.

"I won't do it." I huffed and met his gaze. "I've never suffered a humiliation like the one today. You want me to follow him. Well I won't, he's of no use to me and for all I know he's spewing bullshit. Have Gray trail him for you. I'm staying right here."

"Gray has the tracking skills of a child compared to you, Lucy."

"Then have Mira or Laxus track him. I refuse."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Makarov nod, and suddenly rough hands clamped onto my arms, hauling me up from the floor.

"Fuck!" I grunted as Gray threw me over his hard shoulder. "Gray put me down!" I hissed as I kicked at his shins and tried to pull his hair. When that proved to be ineffective I turned to clawing at his naked back, which earned me a pained hiss and a slap to my ass. Before I knew it I was sitting outside in the rain. I heard the thump of a pack lading to my right. I rolled to my back and stared, my eyes wide, at Gray and Makarov.

"I'm sorry, Lucy." Makarov glanced at Gray, indicating he was no longer needed. The raven haired teen nodded and disappeared, heading back into the tavern, most likely to find Mira so she could cover the fresh claw marks on his back. Makarov returned his attention to me, "This isn't something you can refuse. Find him, learn about him. Learn from him. That's an order. We're clearing out tonight."

The tavern door slammed shut.

"Well I suppose that could have gone better."

Oh bloody hell. Wendy trudged up behind me with a rather large backpack strapped to her shoulders and hiking boots on. Her blue hair was pulled into a side braid and she held an umbrella in her hands. She mumbled an apology as she pulled a clean cloth from her bag and began to wipe the mud from my face, only to have me push her away gently a moment later.

"This is outrageous!" I screamed at the closed door. A decently sized rock sat beside me and I picked it up and hurled it at the door. A loud thump marked it's collision with the door, but no physical damage could be seen. "Makarov, I can't believe you. She's far too young for this."

"Lucy-san," Wendy frowned as she pulled my bleeding hands from the dirt, they had most likely been cut by the jagged edges of the rock I had thrown. She reached into her pack again, yanking a roll of gauze free. "I asked to go." She whispered as she wrapped my pulsing hands.

"Why?" I fixed her with a hard stare, but nothing fazed Wendy. I should have known that by now.

"Because this is my fault," She cut the gauze and placed it back in the pack. "I knew who he was, and I said his name knowing the consequences it would bring, but I have my own reasons for doing so."

"Care to enlighten me?" Wendy shook her head however, so I didn't press for an answer.

Shifting back to my feet, I held out my hand towards Wendy. "Come on, Wen. We have a—what was it you called him?"

Wendy smiled, a bright tug at the corners at her mouth, "A Dragon Slayer."

"Right, we have a Dragon Slayer to find." Then Wendy slipped her hand in mine, and we headed off down the line of the pier, following the quickly disintegrating scent.

xXx

Dumpster diving. Yippy, my favorite. Not.

Wiping rotten bread from my hair, I stumbled from the dumpster, and sadly, with nothing to show from the hour long rifle. I heaved a sigh.

Meow.

"Hmm?" I folded my arms across the edge of the dumpster, resting my chin on my arms as I glanced at the ground in front of me. A few paces away sat a cat. I raised a brow as it gazed up at me with its big, black eyes, a look of longing on its face. Its blue fur was matted to its body and was caked with days of dried mud and garbage. Poor thing.

It cocked its head to the side at it continued to stare at me, probably trying to decide if I would be feeding it its next meal or not.

I shrugged. "Sorry, I've got nothing. But maybe you'll have better luck than I did." I said as I pointed towards the dumpster that I currently stood in. Which reminded me, why was I still standing in this thing?

I grunted as I heaved myself from the metal box, landing on my feet with a soft thud. As soon as I hit the ground the cat bolted towards me. It rubbed against my leg until I bent down to pet it, and then proceeded to nuzzle my coat pockets in hopes of finding something to eat.

"Sorry, buddy," I showed the small cat my gloved hands, trying to communicate that I didn't have anything even for myself.

His ears dropped for a moment before perking back up again. A pleasant purr came from his throat as he nosed his way into my pack, which had been placed at my feet. Well it seemed I had a new travel partner, not that I was complaining. I liked cats.

Heaving a sigh I picked up my bad and slung it carefully over my should, so I wouldn't disturb the kitten, who had curled himself into by blanket for a nap. Lucky bastard. Wish I could be that carefree.

"Let's see," I muttered, pulling a tattered old map from my pocket as I began trudging up a small deer path into the forest just about five miles outside the outskirts of Hargeon. Best to put as much distance between this place and myself as possible. "Corcus or Shirotsume?"

Corcus obviously seemed like the best bet, considering it was farther from Hargeon than Shirotsume and to get to the latter I'd have to travel back through Magnolia, but Corcus was the capital, making it not only the headquarters for war operations but the HQ of the Collectors as well. I might as well be handing them my dead body on a platter.

Shirotsume it was then.

xXx

"I'm—going to—kill him. I swear to you I'm going to kill him!"

I crouched low; Wendy pulled snuggly into my side as we hid behind the rotting crates in a Magnolia back alley. Collectors moved through the streets, poking their swords into anything they deemed worth stabbing. I had seen more than enough people lose their limbs today.

"It's not his fault," Wendy muttered into my side. Her small hands clutched at my jacket as she snuggled closer, shifting slightly when a Collector shoved his spear through one of the crates, missing her by mere inches.

"Blood hell it isn't," I hissed as the Collector moved out of ear shot and around the corner of a crumbling building. Hell this wasn't working. As quietly as I could manage I shifted and pushed Wendy to her feet, clasping her hand in a tight grasp I pulled her back down the alley we had just come from. Her hands were cold and chilled the skin of my palm but I refused to let go, making a metal note to find fire and shelter within the next few hours. She couldn't survive out here. Not in this.

Once again on the outskirts of the city I stopped, dropping Wendy's hand for a moment. There was a stall vendor, surprising still open, off to our right and after closer examination I could see what looked to be a small makeshift inn, almost completely concealed by the overgrown weeds and roots from the overhanging trees. I motioned Wendy forward and towards the inn. She glanced around, looking skeptical but went anyways.

"Room and food for two," The stall vendor chirped, eyes full of hope and mischief, most likely thinking he was making a profitable scam. His hair was gray, or at least the few tuffs of it that still peppered across his scalp and his skin sagged with age and lack of washing. In a past life he most likely had been the baker of this city, once fat and happy but now reduced to begging and scamming ignorant travelers for a pretty penny. When he smiled I could see that the few teeth he had left were rotten, having only enough to chew with. Most likely had had sold the rest.

I stared at him, my eyes hard. His smile faltered and he took a step back, putting more distance between us even though there was already a foot and a half of rotting wood barring him from me. I wasn't messing around, and he knew it. And I could already see him imagining all the horrid things I could do to him if he crossed me. Not that I would harm him intentionally, I wasn't particularly a violent person, but he didn't know that.

"What's your rate?"

He flinched and sputtered around as he looked for his rates; apparently he had gotten so used to scamming people that he couldn't remember his usual charge. "Th-three silver pieces a night per visitor." He shot a shaky glance at Wendy before returning his gaze to me, "Food's on the house tonight."

I slammed my hand on the rotting shall and the old man flinched, jumping practically a foot in the air and letting out a startled yowl. His arms were raised as if expecting a blow. He looked surprised when I smiled at him and removed my hand, leaving eight silver pieces on the plank. I was no Collector. I could see him beginning to calm as my eyes softened and he glanced between me and the money.

"Use it wisely," I whispered, "These are hard times, I suggest taking your family away from here." I squatted in front of Wendy, pulling her hands towards me and blowing hot air on them. She smiled, wiggling herself closer into me, and I lifted her into my arms to carry her around the vendor and into the inn.

Behind us the stall vendor had fallen to his keens, and if you listened closely you could hear him weeping.

Once inside the inn I approached the front desk and the lady behind it gave us our room key, but when we began moving up the stairs I felt Wendy's arms tighten around my neck. Her cold fingers pressed into the warm skin at the back of my neck and I felt her pinch me slightly. At the top of the stairs I glanced back over my shoulder and down towards the inn's tiny sitting area.

Below us sat a group of heavily muscled men, each with a shiny plate of armor strapped across his chest and a large weapon sitting between his legs. I made eye contact with one of them and he smirked before returning his eyes to the card game that was spread out around him. They had been watching us since we walked into the inn.

"Ignore them, Wen. They won't touch you," I whispered as I moved down the landing and shoved open the door to our room. Setting Wendy back on her feet, I nudged her towards the fireplace, which already had a fire alive inside it, flickering with life and a promise of warmth.

I watched as Wendy nestled herself into some thin blankets by the fire, pulling the light fabric over her shoulders to keep her back warm. Deeming that she would be fine for a few minutes while I got food I patted her head and then slipped out the door and down into the sitting area. The thugs were still at their table, drinking what I assumed was stale, watered down ale and laughing at their dumb shenanigans. The barmaid glanced up at me as I approached and offered a kind smile, something that you didn't see very often in these parts.

"What can I get for you dear?"

"Bread, two loaves if you can spare the extra," She nodded and disappeared into the back room, her blonde hair trailing behind her, only to appear a moment later with the loaves, still piping hot from the oven and a small slab of butter.

"On the house," The barmaid said as she handed me the goods, "Thank you for helping my family."

I nodded my thanks and turned to head back towards my room. Such a sweet girl, it was a shame that someone as kind as her would be born into this world of never ending chaos. As I ascended the stairs the muscular men began to howl with laughter and it took too much of my self control to not bash their faces in. At the top of the stairs I paused for a moment and leaned over the rail so as to better examine them.

They looked to be harmless but I knew better than to trust people solely based on appearances. Those that seemed to most innocent and least likely to cause great damage were usually the most dangerous. They chortled, their gruff voices drifting up into the rafters and my ears, and smacked each other in their game play. There armor, which even from a distance I could see had been well crafted and with a steady hand, wasn't one that I recognized. Silver plated with maroon and orange trimming, the armor had been crafted for heavy combat, which was very unusual for a city as run down and barren as Magnolia. A black dragon hugged a crest that rested over their hearts. It set my teeth on edge for even unrecognizable armor was enough to send off warning bells, but as uneasy as they made me feel, I hadn't the time to deal with them at the moment.

Slowly I backed away from the rail and padded down the length of the landing toward the room a shared with Wendy. She glanced up when I entered and her large, childish eyes widened with happiness at the sight of warm bread and butter. I handed the loaves over when she reached for them, not waiting for butter or for them to be cut into slices before she sank her teeth into one of the fluffy creations.

I smiled and ruffled her hair, nudging the butter towards her for she would undoubtedly want it after awhile. Once she had eaten her fill and I mine I tucked her back into the blankets by the fire. She snuggled into them and sighed in contentment, which caused my lips to twitch into a slight smile before I leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead.

Then, after making sure the room was secure I slipped out into the hallway. The inn was dark now, all the travelers from the day having come and gone, even the muscle men, and only a few candles placed along the stairwell guided me back to the ground level. I heard shifting in the back room and made my way towards it, stepping as quite as a mouse so as not to alarm whoever was still awake at this late hour.

It was the barmaid. She sat on a stool in the back of the kitchen, huddled over something that lay on the counter. Her back was turned to me so she didn't notice my presence but she would flinch at the slightest sound and hunch towards the counter as if to protect whatever it was she was hiding. It didn't take me long to figure out what it was.

I cleared my throat and I swear she jumped five feet into the air, a small yelp of terrified surprise left her lips. Her green eyes went wide when she saw me standing just inside the door and true fear washed its way through her body. Her mouth opened and closed but nothing came out, possibly she was too petrified by what could happen to her that she was unable to speak.

I nodded towards the book, which had fallen to the floor when I had startled her. "You shouldn't have that. Books have been outlawed, but I'm sure you knew that." She still couldn't speak, but had composed herself enough that she was able to nod. "Hand it over." The young barmaid clutched the book to her chest and I could see that she was very reluctant to give it up, but after a few moments her shoulders slumped in defeat and she placed the book into my outstretched hand.

I barely glanced at it as I moved across the room and tossed it into the fire. She shrieked a protest and tried to reach for the burning pages but with a quick jab to the back of her legs she tumbled to the ground, tears dripping from her eyes.

"Your father works hard to provide for you. He may be a con and a foolish man but he does those things to protect the family that he loves. Do you realize that you put all his efforts to waste by hording that book? If you were caught with that by anybody else you would have been reported and your entire family hung. Is that what you want?"

Hot tears rolled down her face, causing the dirt to stick to her skin as she cried into the planks of the floor. She shook her head. I bent down and placed a hand on her shoulder, which drew her gaze upward until our eyes locked. "Listen, I gave your father extra money, but I'm sure you're already aware of this, by the next week you most likely won't be in this city anymore. I know not where you'll go; only that any place is better than here. I did your family a service, now I ask for a service in return. There's a little girl upstairs in the room you gave me, she's small and unable to care for herself on her own, look after her while I'm gone. I need only the night."

The barmaid's eyes were glazed and unblinking but she nodded her understanding.

"Keep her safe."

Then I left the barmaid on the floor with only her thoughts and a pile of ashes.

X

Information is an important thing in this hell, more important than money, which is practically worthless, and possibly more important than food. Food, while important, keeps you alive for only an extended number of days, while information could keep you alive for weeks. An excellent mole is the key to surviving in this world and as luck would have it I had come across one.

The only problem with moles is that they're tricky to catch.

Highly intelligent beyond their years, moles were a failed experiment of the Kingdom, while intelligent and able to articulate battle strategies like nothing the world has seen their intelligence led to them thinking for themselves. And rulers of a decaying world can't have free thinkers. They were put to death, all but a few who had managed to escape several nights after the killing began. Now they littered the barren streets of the country, paupers and trying to survive like the rest of us rats.

Masters of battle strategy, engendering, and escape, they were the Kingdom's favored prey on a hunting trip. The problem, however, wasn't finding them but catching them once they had been found.

And the one I found was a slippery little devil.

She had conned me, evaded me, dumped me in the polluted river on one occasion, and had led me straight into a Collector training camp all in the span of three weeks. But the game of cat and mouse was over. Finally, I had managed to track her back to her base of operations: an old abandoned warehouse just off the south end of Lake Sciliora.

After surveying the layout of the warehouse from the outside I deemed that there weren't any Collectors inside. As quiet and seemingly deserted as it might seem I wanted to be sure, considering the last time I had chased her into an abandoned building I almost had my head removed. There was nothing however, just broken windows and ravens looking for a place to rest for the night.

I lifted myself up the side of the stone wall and heaved my stomach and head through the high window. Watching for broken glass, I dropped to the floor and padded up the stairs. Moles liked high places, and this one liked them to be especially high.

Suddenly a childish cackle filled the room.

I stopped and righted my feet, arms up in case she decided to throw something at me, which wasn't beneath her; I had the scrapes to prove it. Her childish voice began to hum as she moved around the room and though I couldn't see her I knew she was here, watching me from the shadows.

The screech of metal on metal filled my ears and suddenly a metal beam came down from the ceiling, landing only inches to my right. Malicious giggling filled the room again and then the most surprising thing of all happened. She revealed herself, something very uncharacteristic of a mole.

I was shocked to see she was no older than myself. Her blue hair hung in tangled clumps around her face, cropped short most likely to keep it from tangling in anything when she was on the run but she was overdue for a haircut for the blue strands grazed her shoulders. Dirt was smudged across her face and in her hair, and her brown eyes stared at me, unblinking. A dirty old shirt hung loosely on her body and tattered pants, covered in holes, sat plastered to her legs, tied up with a make-shift belt made out of rope. She was barefoot.

"Lucky Lucy," She giggled before she moved back into the shadows. I followed the sound of her laughter with my ears and once it stopped I glanced up to find her dangling from the rafters above me. "Luuuucky Luuuucy," She cackled quietly to herself, muffling the noise with her battered shirt sleeve as she hung from the metal rafters, her legs hooked over the edge.

"You know my name."

She laughed again, "I know your name, where you come from," She pulled herself up onto the rafter and slunk away into the shadows, only the outline of her small body visible as she pressed it against the wall, "You're whole story is stored right up here," Her shadow tapped the side of its head, "You've come for a reason and you needn't tell me why."

"Then I needn't explain myself. Give me the information I desire and I'll be one my way."

An eerie quite filled the warehouse but I knew she was still there. Her presence wasn't easily misplaced; one can feel it throughout their entire body. No, she hadn't a reason to leave. She was intrigued. A soft clicking came from behind me and when I glanced over my shoulder she was there, leaning against the wall and clicking her tongue against her teeth. She looked disappointed.

"Information comes at a price, Lucky Lucy. And the information you seek," She melted into the wall again only to appear not two feet from my face, "Is the highest price of information I have, for I'm the only one who knows. You see, the others, well they aren't so willing to carry such information with them. Gives them nightmares."

"Name your price."

She stepped back, a look of momentary bewilderment on her face, for she hadn't been expecting me to accept. Nobody ever accepts a mole's highest price much less give them a choice as to what it is the buyer is paying. Her lips pulled back into an insanely gleeful smile, perfect white teeth shinning in the light. "Interesting, not many are so foolish as to give creatures like me the choice of anything. We're greedy creatures."

This I knew. Moles were incredibly greedy creatures, hoarding the goods that they collected from the information they shared and knowledge was the item most hoarded. Considering their nature of greed and hording they were often avoided for they were excellent at conning the naïve and unfortunate.

"Name your price," I repeated, "Do it quickly before I change my mind."

She huffed and stuck her lip out in a pout but it was quickly replaced with a sly smirk as she began to dance around me, most likely contemplating the prize she was to receive. "Oh what to ask for, there are already so many things I know so what would there be for you to offer me? Curiouser and curiouser. So many things to ask for, yet so little you are able to offer. Your first born child would suffice I think."

"Unlikely."

"No plans for children bother what a shame that is, a little minion would have suited me nicely. I could take those golden locks of yours but I'm sure you wouldn't miss them, which really bring me no satisfaction."

The mole continued her dance, smiling gleefully as she rambled about all the things she could take from me and there were a number of them. Her list was never ending but I could see that she was stalling and wasn't truly interested in any of them.

"You're buying time, but I can't help but wonder what for."

Her dance stopped midstride. Face completely void of emotion she balanced on her toes as she stared at me, eyes once again unblinking. Slowly she lowered her raised leg to the floor and once that was done she turned away, heading down the dark corridor that led deeper into the warehouse. I followed her.

"Answer a question for me, Lucky Lucy?"

"Only if you answer mine."

She glanced at me over her shoulder, briefly, and then turned her head forward again, "It would seem I'm feeling generous today. Do not waste you practically free question."

"Why didn't you run? Undoubtedly you knew I was here the second I came within five miles of this place, every other time I have come anywhere near you, you disappeared with barely anything to salvage for a trail. You let me find you this time. Why?"

"You've intrigued me since the moment you caught your first scent of me but has it ever occurred to you, Lucky Lucy, that perhaps you were not ready for the answers that I would give you?"

I paused for a moment; honestly it hadn't occurred to me that such a thing was possible. I had always been able to care for myself and the others around me, so why would it ever occur that I wouldn't be ready to learn what it was I was seeking? Possibly she was messing with my mind but I pushed that thought to the back of my head when she disappeared around the corner and ducked under a broken, boarded up wall.

"What, Lucky Lucy, is it that you hold most precious in this world, and don't think me a greedy little rodent when I ask, for it s genuine curiosity that drives me." Her voice was quiet as she slipped down into a hole in the floor. I approached the hole with caution and gasped when I looked inside to find a giant mechanism of gears and bolts, each ticking away and fully functioning. The mole sat in a makeshift chair, pulling knobs and pushing levers to her leisure.

After a moment I spoke, "There isn't must that I like to hold precious, precious things are a waste of time because they are ultimately taken from you in the end. I would rather not care about something so trivial."

Her head shot upward and her large eyes locked with mine, "But yet you hold things very close and it would simply break you to lose them." I said nothing and moved away from the hole as she crawled from her little sanctuary. She stood still for a moment and then began to giggle to herself again. It amazed me, truly, that she had been able to hold such a serious conversation for so long. Moles may have advanced intelligence, but all that knowledge came at a price, that price was their humanity. They were creatures driven by insanity. "I want one thing from you, Luuuuucky Luuucy," She twirled around, at some point she had pulled a dirty skirt over her pants and it billowed around her. "I want sanctuary, security, when you and your precious, may I refer to him as precious, dragon slayer save this doomed hellhole I want to be treated like a queen. I want to have meaning in this world."

"Done."

She twirled and grabbed the bottom of her skirt, bowing low, and her pearly white teeth were all I could see as she tilted her head slightly upward.

"Levy McGarden, at your service."

**Authors Note: **

**Wait I update my other stories?**

**Why yes, apparently that would be the case. Wow I apologize to anybody who has been waiting so patiently for this chapter! It only took me six months right?**

**Yeah so the OOCness is a little off the charts. I apologize for that but at the same time this is how I feel the characters need to be portrayed in order to make a story like this work. I like to think that I did well with keeping some of the characters to their original personalities, Gray, Makarov, kinda Wendy. Lucy was until this chapter took off, then she turned a little coldhearted. Levy, well, she's a bit insane. I'm sorry for making her crazy! It just kinda popped into my head and I was like, "Hey I can work with that!" So it was done.**

**Natsu, well he's just Natsu, a little harsh and rough around the edges but that's how he needs to be at the moment. Hopefully his happy-go-lucky side will come out at the story progresses.**

**Also I apologize for my lazy editing. Undoubtedly there's stuff in here that needs fixing so if anything really obvious sticks out let me know and I'll gladly fix it.**

**Thank you so much to anybody who took the time to read!**

**Read and Review! **

**Love dearies,**

**ZiraUzu**


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** War Pawn

**Genre: **Adventure/Fantasy

**Couple: **NaLu, maybe more in the future.

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **OOC

**World: **AU

**Summary:** _Welcome to a world of chaos and misfortune where the strong are weak and the weak are dead. Magic has been sucked from the world and those who still have it are hunted down and chained into instruments of war. With a revolution brewing beneath the surface one only has two choices: Run or fight. But it's hard to pick a side when the only one left with magic is yourself... /NaLu/_

Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima

Warnings: _Violence. Language. Blood. Gore._

**War Pawn: Chapter 3**

_ZiraUzu_

(March 18, 2015)

* * *

Levy McGarden sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, chewing on the flesh absentmindedly as she thumped her head repeatedly against the wall and tapped her long, jagged nails against the ground. A stead rhythm had begun, for she had been doing the head thumping and nail tapping for the past ten minutes, her eyes closed in concentration. A rhythm always made thinking easier.

Thump. Thump. Tap. Repeat.

She could feel the blonde she-devil's eyes on her, which had grown to be rather frustrating. Lucky Lucy was watching her like a hawk that had spotted its next meal, and though it didn't particularly make Levy uncomfortable it was rather distracting. The blonde thought she was going to ditch the second she turned away. She was right to be suspicious of course, Levy had done so in the past to other, less intriguing buyers, but there was something about Lucky Lucy's request, and payment, that had peeked her interest enough to remain where she was. Not that the blonde would believe her.

The staring though, it was making slipping into The Void rather difficult.

_. . . Outbreak in Clover . . .Collector movement . . Hargion . . ._

The Void was the source of mole information. When the Kingdom was in the early steps of constructing the mole DNA they created a database that would be the main source of mole knowledge. It was telepathic connection that allowed moles to share and exchange information. Originally the idea had been scraped, deemed too dangerous when theories spread of possible telepathic plans for uprising and sabotage. They had been right to fear the system. The materials for the genetic database where removed from the plans and stored away, but somehow when the final stages of the mole creation process were in progress the material was slipped back into the DNA mix.

The Void was the real reason behind the mole genocide.

The number of moles who actually possessed the DNA was unknown at the time when the massacre occurred. The amount of DNA that held the database was very small, the Kingdom having only created a small potion by the time the idea was shelved so not every mole that was created actually possessed it. The Kingdom couldn't take any chances though and when they realized the mutation transpired they instantly began slaughtering their creation. Now, only eight moles with access to the database remained.

Thump. Thump. Tap. Repeat.

"What's taking so long?" Lucky Lucy huffed and began pacing along a five foot length in front of Levy, who had momentarily congested her tapping, breaking the rhythm entirely. "What the hell are you even doing?"

This blonde was lucky she was intriguing because she was fucking irritating. "Focusing," the mole spat, "Now if you would kindly shut it so I can find more information on your precious dragon slayer." Lucy shot her a death glare.

"I thought you knew where he was."

Oh she knew alright. Levy had picked up Natsu Dragneel's presence weeks ago, and from the looks of it he was headed on a path towards Shirotsume. That didn't however mean that following him there was safe. The mole may be in service to the blonde but she wasn't about to risk her neck for her. "I do, but since you refuse to let me out of your sight I'm forced to use other methods in order to see that following him won't get us killed. Normally I would do so alone, but you're quite stubborn."

The blonde raised a curious brow, "Other methods?"

Levy cackled quietly under her breath, "Trust me blondie, you're better off not knowing. Now if you would be so kind as to shut the fuck up and stop staring. It's hindering my concentration and I'm afraid you're going to give me nightmares."

The blonde huffed and made an inappropriate hand gesture before turning away and Levy resumed her rhythm.

Thump. Thump. Tap. Repeat.

A faint buzzing sounded at the back of the mole's skull. She focused on the noise, mentally grasping it and pulling it towards the front of her mind. A blur of voices suddenly burst inside her mind. They screamed inside her skull, talking and shouting over each other. Loud, obnoxious cackling burst forth from Levy's throat, most likely startling the blonde, and her body began to thrash, standing up on its own it began to dance. Her mind was inside The Void.

Slowly the voices began to organize themselves, forming into coherent sentences and conversations.

_Stay clear of Hargion. The Collectors have moved in and word is that they tore down a tavern that was seated along the pier. Absolutely demolished the place, there's nothing left._

_Was there a death toll or a reason behind the destruction?_

_From what I could see there was no death, just a bunch of splintered wood. The occupants knew to evacuate before the Collectors arrived on the scene. Lucky bastards. Apparently the reason behind the destruction was because some fool uttered the dragon slayer's name. Damn imbeciles. _

Levy giggled quietly under her breath. "Want to know a secret, Luuuucky Luuuucy? Do you, do you? You're little tavern was destroyed! Ho ho what fun that must have been! Nothing but splintered wood, oh nothing but splinters!"

_Was the slayer there?_

_Do not speak of him. He has no business with our kind._

_So you say._

_Shirotsume is his current location, though it baffles me that any of you are interested in information like that.. _Levy's voice blended into the conversation.

_Ah, Levy, long time._

_Indeed. He's in Shirotsume, granted he hasn't packed up and moved on in the last week or so. I couldn't check because of a certain damn blonde following me around. Turns out she strikes an interesting deal._

_Lucky Lucy found you?_

_Only because I let her find me._

_She wants the slayer?_

_Duh. So down to business, travel to Shirotsume, is it safe? Or is my ass going to get jumped by Collectors if I take this blonde to her precious dragon?_

_Following him could mean death to you sister. We have no business with the slayer. Steer clear of the death the dragon brings._

_Pay him no mind, he's on edge._

_We all are._

_So it would seem._

_Shirotsume, then? _

_From my understanding the area has been relatively quiet as of late._

_Besides the rioting._

_Rioting?_

_A few outbursts have popped up throughout the city but its basic civil rights movements. So far they've been low on the violence scale so they hold very little interest to the Collectors in the surrounding areas._

_Levy be careful. The slayer is—_

Levy's mind was jolted from The Void. It slammed back into her body, causing disorientation and dizziness. She was on a rafter, balancing on one foot with her arms spread out on either side of her body. Lucy sat below her, motionless.

"You're friends are fine." Levy said as she lowered her arms and righted her body so she was standing on both of her feet. She slipped from the rafter, catching it with her hands before dropping to the floor and landing with a soft thud. A giggle slipped from her throat. "They evacuated before the Collectors showed up."

Lucy said nothing as she returned to her feet and waved Levy forward without so much as glancing at her. "Common, we have to go get Wendy. I promised her I'd only be a day and it's nearly dawn."

Levy giggled, dusted invisible dirt off her skirt and cart wheeled after Lucy, following her out of the warehouse.

* * *

I grit my teeth and clamped my hands over my ears, a sorry attempt at shutting Levy's toe curling screeching out. The mole had been wailing for the past hour and a half, screaming incoherent lyrics at the top of her lungs. She had tried to get me to join in at one point, claiming she would switch to a song both of us were familiar with, but I wasn't having it, that and I didn't really know any songs, despite Levy's claims that there was at least one that each of us would be familiar with. Considering the bluenette's nature I didn't argue with her statement, knowing it was most likely true.

"Come on now, blondie," Levy giggled as she danced a circle around me, flailing her arms over her head and moving to toe point.

"Levy!" I hissed and turned towards the bluenette, murder in my eyes, "Shut up!"

She wasn't listening though. My eyes narrowed and my glare hardened. I gazed at the mole; who had gone still, frozen mid dance step, her face void of emotion. Slowly Levy lowered her raised limbs, resting them at her sides. She said nothing as she stared at a point over my head, her eyes unblinking as she stared off into space.

"Levy! Are you even listening to me?" I grumbled and clutched Levy's shoulder, shaking her in an attempt to get a response out of her. When she didn't so much as flinch I shoved the smaller woman and turned on my heel, stalking down the path with an angered vide in my step.

"Smoke."

I halted my march, turning my gaze back to Levy, who still hadn't moved but continued to stare at an invisible point in the trees. "What?"

Levy's eyes flashed, pulsing a vibrant blue, "Fire. It's everywhere. Something's burning. I can see it."

"You can see it?"

Levy nodded her eyes unblinking as she watched the scenes within her mind play over and over again. "Nothing but ashes will remain by the time we reach it."

"Damn it reach what, Levy?"

I cursed as the blunette began to cackle quietly under her breath as her sanity began to slip away again, shutting itself into the deepest corners of her mind. I didn't have time for this, something was coming and I didn't know what or where it was going to strike. It was almost as frustrating as being in a street fight without a blade, something that I had had to do a number of times in the past as a pickpocket.

"Start ruuuuning blondie," the mole giggled, a shrill sound which bubbled up from deep within her throat and spilled from her lips in a hideous cackle, "Ruuun, ruuun quickly! Hurry before that little child of yours is burned to a nice crisp! Oh she'll be nice and crispy!"

My brown eyes widened into terrified saucers, and my feet turned harshly in the dirt, pushing me down the path that would lead me back towards the inn. I was close, so very close, but as the smoke came into view I knew deep down I wasn't close enough.

Wendy.

Oh sweet Mavis this was my fault. If Wendy was injured in any possible way it would fall on my shoulders. I had promised her it would only be a day, less than twenty four hours and though I had been good on my word the youngest member of Fairy Tail had still been placed in danger. Levy had already proven that. A reason like this had been why I was so against bringing such a young child with me in the first place.

Wendy wasn't completely defenseless, just unwilling to take an offensive. The girl was wise beyond her years, though nobody within the guild knew what had caused her to grow up before her time. They just assumed it was for the same reasons that they had all had to grow up quickly. War was kind to no one. But Wendy was so small, fragile in ways we haven't discovered yet because she refused to open up about her past, even to me, and I was closer to her than any one. But I didn't need Wendy to tell me that it wasn't the war that changed her.

It was something bigger.

But that wasn't important; finding Wendy alive was. I ran faster.

The inn was charred. Coals burned but were closed to being snuffed out, glowing a dull red. A light rain had started when I reached the inn and now the droplets caused a sizzling sound to echo throughout the surrounding woods. I ducked under the busted frame of the hidden door, being careful of where I stepped because of the broken, scorched furniture that had once made up the tiny lobby. It looked as if the tables and chairs had been heaved across the room for they now lay in splinters across the floor.

The worst part was the bodies.

The smell was awful. The stench of burnt flesh permeated the room and I pressed a hand to my mouth and nose in order to keep the stench and smoke from seeping into my system. I raised my shirt, hooking it over my nose. Moving farther into the inn, I steps lightly as I maneuvered around the singed corpses. A soft clatter came from behind me and I need not look in order to know it was Levy, clattering through the debris, though her moving silently would have benefited us both. I knew she was capable of it.

Levy moved to stand at my side. I heard her inhale, taking a deep breath through her nose. "The fire didn't kill them."

She didn't have to tell me. I knew.

Dark red stained the floor and walls through the scorch marks, indicating there had been a blood bath before whoever did this had set fire to the inn. The bodies had been mangled, flesh ripped open to the point where charred bone was visible. I stepped over the tattered heaps carefully, moving towards the stairs and trying not to retch from the smell. The wood of the first step creaked under my weight when I placed a foot on it, testing the durability of the board in order to see if it was safe to climb.

Once deeming it safe I glanced over my shoulder towards Levy, mouth open and ready to tell her to stay where she was, but all that came out was a sharp inhale. A small body sat in the corner behind the bluenette, a small body that was burnt and mangled and covered in dried blood.

Even the children hadn't been spared.

A cold sweat broke out over my body, which began to tremble as a cold anxiety shot through me. I shot up the stairs, no longer concerned for my own safety. In my haste one of the boards collapsed below me and I yelped as the splinted wood scrapped against my ragged pant leg. It didn't matter. Only Wendy mattered, just her. The door flung open when I rammed my shoulder against it. I had been expecting blood and fire and charred remains.

The room was untouched. Not a scorch mark in sight.

I hissed and darted into the room, ignoring the pain in my leg from the broken stair and screaming for the young girl at such a high volume that Levy came crashing up the stairs. She entered the room to the sight of me tearing the place apart. I shredded the pillows and ripped the bedding to ribbons, hauled a chair into the fireplace where the glowing coals sprang back to life as they were fed, my breathing grew ragged as I stormed around the room, looking for any signs of Wendy. It didn't take a mole's intelligence to tell the me what I already knew.

Wendy was gone.

"Fuck!"

Levy scoffed at my disheveled state, clearly irritated and uninterested in my frantic searching. I paused in my assault on the room, shoulders stiff, rigid, tense. What right did she have to be angry at me grief. I bit my lower lip in anger. I tackled the mole, pinning her to the ground before smacking her across the face in a blind rage. Levy's head flung to the side as the blow was struck, sending her into a fit of giggles.

"Why are you so upset," the mole screamed around her cackling, "A child would have been a waste of time! She's a burden, and inconvenience! Movement would have been slow with her around. Whoever torched this place _did you a favor_!"

"Shut up, shut up, _shut up_," I was blinded, my fist striking the mole again and again, which only caused her to laugh harder, "Wendy was my responsibility! I was supposed to take care of her!"

"And look where that got you! Not only is she a physical hindrance, but an emotional one! She would have been used against you at some point! She's leverage!" Suddenly I was thrown from my place on top of Levy. I glared up at the mole, who stood above my, face once again void of emotion. "You're goal was the dragon slayer. Focus on that. Remember that."

Suddenly a loud crash sounded from down the stairs. Two sets of brown eyes shot towards the door and in seconds we were running down the stairs, suddenly unaffected by the need for silence and uncaring if said noise and gave away our position. I burst around the corner and into the kitchen, murder in my eyes. If the bastards that did this were still here I would throttle them. One by one.

But it wasn't them.

It was the barmaid.

Curled into a tight ball while lying on her side, the barmaid was visibly trembling though not a sound came from her quacking body. Her hair was matted with dirty and dried blood though it was hard to tell whether it belonged to her or another of the corpses that were strewed around the room, which had been smashed. Broken plates and glass littered the floor and the furniture, similar to the kind in the lobby, was splintered.

I approached her cautiously, hands out as if I were approaching an animal that had been injured, and in a way I was doing just that. The young girl twitched at the slightest noise but never turned an eye to me. She had to know that Levy and I where there, we hadn't exactly been quiet, but yet she never looked. Slowly Lucy closed a hand around the girl's shoulder. She was a tortured soul now, broken in ways that I didn't know.

She sat up and began to scream.

I stumbled away from the barmaid when she began to thrash around, unveiling a sharp knife that had been hidden in her sleeve. She wailed, screaming to say away from her she branded her weapon, striking air and dirt and nearby furniture. She was wild and inconsolable with a blade in her hand, yet her sporadic movements prevented her from striking Levy or me. Her movements were too sporadic.

I lowered my eyes and shook my head, clenching my teeth. I wanted to be wrong, ignorant, without an idea why the young woman's blows never hit. Dear Mavis I wanted to be wrong.

I launched at her, smacking the blade from her trembling fingers, I wrapped my arms around the young woman, caging her. She struggled, yet they feeble attempts to free herself. The fight was drained from her, just as I suspected. Hours ago when her home was torched, everyone she loved was dead. There was nothing left for her. I pulled her to my chest, my caging embrace turning to one of comfort and understanding. The barmaid began to cry.

"Miss. L-Lucy?"

My hand paused on her ratted hair at the sound of my name. Levy quirked an eyebrow at me when I glanced at her over my shoulder and a questioning look was present in the mole's brown gaze. Returning my attention to the girl in my arms, "I'm here," I promised, petting the girl's ratted hair in a sad attempt to smooth it down. I paused for another moment then said the one thing that I had been dreading since I saw her, "They took your sight from you."

The young girl wailed and nodded against my shoulder, nuzzling her head into the blonde hair that was tangled around my neck, seeking the sorry excuse for comfort that my arms offered. "It's my fault," she bawled, "It's my fault their all dead. I should have been more careful, should have hid my books in a better place."

I said nothing for there was little that I could say, my words would offer no comfort for her. There was no point in telling the barmaid that it wasn't her books and ability to find joy in them that had brought death into her family's inn. It would do little to console her when her mind was beyond reasoning with. So I let the young girl cry into my shoulder, my mouth molding into a thin line as I pushed the pity to the back of her mind. She didn't need it.

Silence passed through the kitchen save the tapping of Levy's feet. I listened to the mole's erratic pacing. She rummaged through the piles of charred wood, most likely looking for information that may prove useful to her later, much to my annoyance. Couldn't she stand still for two minutes?

"Miss. Lucy," the barmaid's voice was a quiet rasp against my shoulder. I made a quiet humming noise, letting the girl know she had my attention and I was listening, "The men, the ones who did this, they—they wanted me to tell you something."

The barmaid gasped when my body turned rigid beneath her. I remained silent, which would unnerve some people but caused the young woman to slowly relaxed before continuing in a quiet voice, "The s-said that t-they have something important to you. T-t-that you shouldn't look for it because you won't find it. Wh-what doesn't want to be found isn't. The—"

Sobs broke the barmaid's speech, her body shivering at what I could only assume was the memory of the men that had blinded her and murdered her family. It would rattle anybody. I cooed into her hair, "Shh it's okay. They can't hurt you now. You are okay."

She nodded into my hair, taking a deep, slow breath through her nose, she continued in a soft voice, "Th-they said you have something, something that b-belongs t-to them. They said y-you know what to do." Her breathing turned labored as she stared to become overwhelmed and words flew from her mouth, "I-I don't know what it means but they drilled it into me again and again. They—"

Time slowed as red splattered my vision. The barmaid's head landed in my lap, blood flowing from her body, which now lay on its side, the dead weight slipping from my arms as the red, warm liquid spilled across the floor. She was dead; her eyes wide and glazed over with terror. I saw myself in those eyes, saw the glazed terrified look in the eyes of a young girl who had been alive not two seconds ago.

A gargled wail filled the room. My brown eyes scanned the room, looking for the sound of the wailing only to realize that the sound had come from me, from my throat. There was a dead girl's blood in my lap and her head was lying on the floor in front of me and I was screaming because of it.

Who did this?

I looked around the damaged room, searching for the perpetrator that had ended the young girl's life, but I found no such person, just Levy holding a giant cleaving knife covered in blood.

"You—"

"Did her a favor," the mole sneered and ran her index finger along the edge of the blade, testing it's sharpness before wiping the fresh blood on her skirt a moment later.

My fingers clamped around her throat and squeezed. Hard. I tackled the mole to the ground, sending the knife flying across the room. I was screaming and thrashing and bashing Levy's head into the floor as wail after ear splitting wail left my raw throat. Levy clawed at wrists, her jagged, dirt infested nails tore into my flesh and her eyes squeezed shut as she tried to force air back into her lungs. I was suffocating her. And I didn't care.

"You killed her! You killed an innocent child! She didn't need to die. There's enough death and bloody suffering in this hellhole and you've only added to it! What were you trying to gain by ending an innocent girl's life? _What?_"

"Noth—thing," Levy gasped, managing to pull my fingers' iron grip away from her throat long enough to breath in a lungful of air. The mole, starving for oxygen, sunk her nails into my sides, I yelped and released my hold long enough for Levy to shove me off of her tiny body. "I w-want n-no-nothing," she wheezed, holding a hand against her abused windpipe. "That girl was bind, you impudent fool. It's just as you said. This world is a bloody hell; she wouldn't had been able to survive, let alone been able to learn how to cope with being blind!"

"We could have taken her with us! To Fairy Tail! We could have saved her!"

"No we couldn't have!" The mole jabbed an elbow into my cheek when she came at her again, causing the soft flesh on the inside of my mouth to split open when it bashed against my teeth. My fingers were ready to retake their hold on the bluenette's neck once again. And this time finish the job. "You've got it into that thick skull of yours that your precious little 'family' can save everybody. They can't! Your people can barely feed themselves, let alone extra mouths. You need to understand one thing: if I hadn't ended it, she would have. It would only be a matter of time."

Fat, hot tears rolled down my cheeks, leaving twin stains as they washed the dirt away from my skin. I stopped thrashing, stopped trying to choke the life from Levy because she was right, dammit she was _right_. I hated myself for admitting it but there was a truth to her words that I couldn't deny. No matter how much I wanted too. The barmaid wouldn't have survived, even with my help.

I moved away from her, curling my body against the wall and placing my head between my knees. Emotions, as much as the people of this world may choose to deny them, are a sign of humanity. As much as I may deny it I was human, through and through. Emotions were a weakness, a burden that I bore, and always would.

"Levy?"

"What?" Her voice was a shallow rasp which was to be expected considering I just tried to crush her windpipe. Out of the corner of my eyes I could see she had picked up the cleaving knife again. Her brown eyes examined the blade, a calculating expression on her face that broke every few seconds when a strangled giggle left her lips.

I raised my head, resting it on my arms as I folded them across the top of my knees. "You're lucky. Being what you are."

Levy stopped examining her blade. A frown caused the corners of her mouth to dip and her brow was pulled into a frustrated knot. She sighed and placed the knife on the floor beside her, "You say this. I see it often in creatures like you." Levy glanced my way before moving so she was seated in front of me, her knees almost touching my legs. Her small hand reached out and lightly slapped my right cheek, causing me to blink in surprise, then she wiped a tear away with her thumb. "Why?"

"Emotions are a foreign concept to moles, yes? Would make life easier."

She nodded but her face still looked troubled. "So you would rather be an experiment? Raised in a lab? Have an endless access to knowledge? Trivial desires." Levy sprung to her feet and stocked towards the door but before she passed through it she glanced at me again, "You humans call emotions a hindrance. It is your naivety that drags you to hell."

* * *

**AN:** **Hello lovelies! It has been awhile indeed and I do apologize for that. I hope you all enjoyed the newest installation of War Pawn. Please let me know what you think, it's always appreciated.**

**I would like to apologize about the sudden change in writing at the beginning of the chapter. I know it starts in third person and then turns to first, I don't normally do that. I accidently started writing in third person and once I realized it I went back and changed Lucy's part to first. I left Levy's in third though because I was satisfied with how it turned out in third person. Sorry again, I don't plan on having that happen again.**

**I just wanted to say sorry that updates have been so lacking and sporadic, both with War Pawn and Of Slayers and Dragon Tails. Life is life as it would seem. On a more positive note, I've started to get into the habit of planning out chapters before I write them so I have the general idea of how I want the next three or so chapters of War Pawn to go. Hopefully that means that updates will come faster but I make no promises.**

**Sorry for my lazy editing!**

**Read and Review!**

**Love dearies,**

**ZiraUzu**


	4. Chapter 4

**ZiraUzu**

**Title:** War Pawn

**Genre: **Adventure/Fantasy

**Couple: **NaLu

**Rating: **T

**Warnings: **OOC

**World: **AU

**Summary:** _Welcome to a world of chaos and misfortune where the strong are weak and the weak are dead. Magic has been sucked from the world and those who still have it are hunted down and chained into instruments of war. With a revolution brewing beneath the surface one only has two choices: Run or fight. But it's hard to pick a side when the only one left with magic is yourself... /NaLu/_

Fairy Tail © Hiro Mashima

Warnings: _Language._

**War Pawn: Chapter 4**

_ZiraUzu_

(June 25, 2015)

xXx

I awoke to the sound of purring in my ear and the taste of fur in my mouth.

Happy was the name I decided to give my little blue companion. He yowled as I bolted upwards on my bed, spitting fragments of blue fur from my mouth as my legs and arms got tangled in the grubby sheets. Pillows tumbled from the bed in my thrashing and I followed them to the floor moments later, landing with a loud thump.

I groaned, pushing myself up onto an elbow. Happy slipped his head out from under the  
bed and glided under the space between my arm and the floor, nuzzling his furry face into my neck and once again filling my mouth with his fur do to his aggressive cuddling. The little guy was a lover.

The corner of my mouth twitched upwards as the little ball of blue fur purred happily, nuzzling his head into my open palm. This little guy really was a miracle. Even in this would, where everything was twisted and cruel there was still some good, even if it came in the form of a little blue cat. That was why I named him Happy, because he brought a little bit of hope with him wherever he went.

A pained groan escaped my throat as I pushed myself into a sitting position. Leaning against the grimy inn bed, I pulled Happy into my lap and stroked him absentmindedly. My head fell back against the stiff cot and I closed my eyes. With my eyes closed my sense of hearing kicked in, picking up the sounds of marching soldiers and dagger scuffles from the back allies.

The riots were the first thing I noticed when I reached Shirotsume.

They started out innocent, simple civilian movements that remained relatively peaceful. Mostly they were used to collect food or money to buy essentials for the children and the struggling families in the area. People showed up, donated what they could, stayed to catch up on news, and returned home. Simple. Easy. Safe.

Now it was another story.

The citizens had grown foolish, blinded by rage yet unsure were to direct it. So they made stupid decisions. There wasn't a day that went by without the riots turning violent. Any building that was deemed Collector property was set on fire, any tax collector that came by was beaten within an inch of his life. This is what the once peaceful people of Shirotsume had come too and they were only making it worse for themselves. The Collectors were starting to take notice.

And that was a problem for me.

Happy pawed at my chest, a curious meow leaving his throat as he stared at me with his big eyes, head cocked to one side. I scratched behind his ears and he purred in contentment. "Collectors are going to be moving in any day now, best we be going, buddy."

Suddenly a creak sounded from the other side of the door. My ears twitched at the noise, the person on the other side moved slowly, cautiously because they were most likely afraid to get caught. They had an air of stealth to them, I'd give them that.

I closed my eyes, ears perked as I listened to the intruder on the other side of the door. There were two of them, both female judging from the octaves of their voices as they whispered quietly to each other. One of them had quite the sailor mouth on her. The other fluctuated between monotone and hysterical whispers before her words morphed into a muffled giggle.

Sailor Mouth hissed at the giggler, commanding her silence as she moved towards the door. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch up, Sailor Mouth was a good name for her, I'd have to remember that one the next time she was spewing profanities at me. If there was a next time.

I hadn't a doubt in my mind there would be.

Her scent drifted through the door, and in my contemplation of trying to decide if I should hightail it out the window or not, I found myself indulging in it. She smelled . . . nice, which was a surprise nowadays. People tended to put personal hygiene on hold, much to my nose's dismay, Sailor Mouth though, still smelled nice. The earthy scent of dirt and rain drifted under the door, along with the faintest scent of vanilla. Must be natural, no way she'd have perfumes. The other smelt metallic, almost like an empty machine, along with pine.

As their quiet whispering continued— damn they sure were taking their sweet time—Happy jumped from my lap and trotted towards the door on his little paws. He paused a moment and then pawed at the wood before arching his back and hissing at the obstacle between him and the two strangers on the other side. The voices paused for a moment before resuming again when they deemed that Happy was, of course, just a cat. The hysterical giggler cackled and then muttered something about not knowing about the cat, which was followed by a number of curses.

Then the door handle began to jiggle and creak.

I scooped Happy up, nuzzling his head to calm him down, before hauling my pack on my back and slipping out the window just as the door burst open. I glanced over my shoulder as I leapt and caught the brown doe eyes of a certain little pickpocket, a smirk stretched across my face.

Her next line of curses was anything but quiet.

I could hear her footsteps thundering through the inn as I jogged around the corner and slipped into the back alley that the workers used to transport garbage and other waste. It smelled awful, littered with rancid food scraps, garbage, and the occasional dead animal the back alleys of Shirotsume were not a place the common folk dwelled, but rogues like me, well it was a haven.

I ran through the alleys, twisting around corner after corner as I went, though I was careful not to get myself turned around. I had thought it would be a miracle if Lucy could track me through this, apparently she was quiet skilled at it or so I've heard. The people liked to talk, and her name had traveled far, though very few knew of her.

And it was exactly two seconds later that she crashed into me, sending me skidding into the stone ground and Happy straight into the air with a yowl. And it bloody hurt too.

I grunted in pain when Lucy plopped herself down on my stomach and grabbed my wrists, forcing them into the stone. Thanks for adding to my growing list of injuries. Damn she was tiny but she was stronger than she looked.

"G-got you," her voice came out as a tried rasp.

An annoyed hiss slipped from my throat, "No shit," I said and rolled my eyes, "We have got to stop meeting like this. Another tackle like that and I'll be dead."

Lucy scoffed from her place above me, annoyance evident in her features. "Do you really have nothing better to do than joke about every little thing?"

"Makes life more fun."

That earned me a nice slug on the head. Lucy was absolutely livid as she hauled me to my feet before promptly slamming me into a brick wall—again ow— just as the other girl came trotting into the alley. "Shut it. You're coming with us," Lucy hissed as she shoved an elbow between my shoulder blades and twisted my arms behind my back. "And life isn't meant to be fun. Levy, help me."

This blonde was cocky and I'd had enough of her. I ripped my arms from her grip, shifting her off balance. I kicked her in the side, hard enough to cause her to stumble backwards a few steps but not enough to knock her over. I wasn't a complete asshole. She stumbled forward as I started to bolt only to have her wrap her arms around my waist.

I really wish I was better at being an asshole.

"I suggest you stop your resistance slayer. It would be beneficial for you in the long run."

That was the first time I paid attention to the little bluenette that had been creeping in the dark corners of the alley.

Small and incredibly dainty she didn't look as if she could cause any real harm. I had passed her off as Lucy's hysterical companion, someone she had picked up along the way because she felt sorry for them. I had been terribly mistaken. To the naked eye she was normal, she was human, but to others, the ones that knew of her kind, she was a dangerous instrument.

She unsettled my nerves.

Her eyes, brown in appearance, pulled between their natural color and a vibrant red when I looked at her. My eyes, still sensitive to unnatural elements of this world thanks to the magic that flowed through my veins, could pick up the invisible traits that humans couldn't see. The structure of her body was stood rigidly, locked at every joint as she stared at me with those lifeless eyes.

Lucy had indebted herself to the service of a mole and was ignorant of the consequences her actions had caused her. These creatures were not something to mix with. They were better left to their dark corners, away from humans.

"What have you done?" I hissed at Lucy over my shoulder, my voice quiet and grave.

"She's done what she had too. Siiiiiiiilly dragon, silly, stupid dragon. So very precious, precious little dragon," the mole giggled as she fluttered on the points of her toe through the alley. "Now, come. We have plans for you."

The mole turned and skipped from the alley. Lucy shoved my forward, keeping one hand between my shoulder blades to ensure she would be able to grab me if I ran. But I would not be running, not with a mole present.

"What did you promise her?"

"Doesn't matter."

It _did_ matter. It was the upmost important thing when making a contract with a mole. They were greedy, foul creatures and a payment was the one thing they would never forget.

"If you made her a deal, something you can't keep—"

"It is my burden to bear."

Lucy said nothing more after that, choosing instead to usher me, on occasion rather violently, from the streets of Shirotsume.

X

This was the worst form of torture. Seriously, in all my life I had never felt such excruciating pain. My mind was blank, my thoughts torn from the recesses as I passed between conscious and unconscious again and again.

The carriage lurched forward and I once again repressed the urge to upchuck.

"The all mighty dragon slayer reduced to a quivering puddle of helplessness all do to a carriage ride. I can't decide if I feel sorry for how pathetic you are or if I find this amusing."

"Shut it," I whimpered. Lucy shook her head, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched me curl into a ball on the floor of the carriage we had been in for the past two hours. Two hours! Death was welcomed at this point.

"Poooooor baby dragon!" The mole sang from her place on top of the carriage. She had refused to ride inside with Lucy and myself and I was perfectly fine with that. The farther away from me she was the better.

Yeah, death was starting to look better and better.

X

I had come to the realization by the time we reached our destination that my life was no longer in my own hands. This was unsettling to me, for I had always been in control of my own actions, my own decisions and thoughts. Those were no longer my own, and it was a disturbing realization as I was led, this time in chains, into was I could only assume was the Fairy Tail tavern's backup base.

Lucy led me along like a dog, tugging the chains harshly whenever I shopped or fell behind. We were alone now. The mole had disappeared not an hour ago, claiming she had matters to take care off before reaching the base and after pleading a rather persuasive argument Lucy had agreed to give her two hours to herself. I was unfamiliar with what could possibly interest the mole to the point that she needed to go off by herself, but I was certain I wouldn't like the answer if I were to find out.

I was at least content to be rid of her for the moment.

The base could only be described as a dingy shack. Small and constructed from rotting wood it was in worse shape than the previous location. Even from the outside I could make out a number of holes in the roof where it had collapsed. Fairy Tail's emblem was scorched into the rotten wood of the front door. There wasn't a window in sight that wasn't at least cracked, most of them broken or missing entirely, must make for quite a draft during colder weather.

Lucy shoved the door open when we neared it, her hand lingering along the scorched wood of the emblem as she moved inside, tugging me along after her. The occupants of the tavern went silent at our entrance.

Some gave us a quick glance as we passed through the room and moved towards the back, where a tattered door barely hung on its hinges, others openly stared, gawking at my every movement. I kinda wanted to punch most of them in the face, not that it would solve anything it would just make me feel better. I understood their need for the staring, I was a foreign creature to them, and something they had heard about but had never had the chance to examine in a close proximity.

I wasn't that fascinating.

"Makarov will want to see you," Lucy said before muttering something under her breath about finally having me out of her hair. Well, you aren't exactly a peach to deal with either I thought as she practically threw me through the door.

The old man behind the door was perched on top of a makeshift table. Composed of two stools and a slab of wood, it was a sorry excuse for a sitting area, let alone a desk, which is what I assumed he normally used if for. He glanced up at my ungraceful clattering as Lucy shut the door behind us, a look of amusement in his dark eyes.

"You found him."

"No thanks to you, old man," Lucy sneered, but there was a hint of endearment behind her words. She respected this man, though she expressed it a way that was far different than the lines of respect usually followed.

He turned his attention to me then, "Welcome back, slayer. I do hope you enjoyed your trip to our little base."

"You tryin' to be funny?" I snapped.

"Far from it," the old man said. He moved from his place on his desk, coming to stand in front of me and survey me. I felt like a caged animal.

He said nothing, instead choosing to survey me with calculating eyes, which were calm but raged a deadly storm deep in the depths. Then her turned his gaze on Lucy, who straitened under his stare.

"Where is Wendy? I wish to speak to her as well."

I could tell the second that Lucy broke out in a cold sweat. She became fidgety, her eyes unable to hold Makarov's.

"You _lost_ her?"

"I can expl—"

There was a loud crash from the other side of the door as the base suddenly erupted into a storm of noise, which erupted into the room when the door was thrown open and a certain bluenette came dancing into the room, "I'm baaaaack, Lucy!"

Makarov's gaze turned hard at the sight of the mole.

The old man's face turned purple with rage. He pointed a shaky finger at Levy and then me, "You and you. Out. I need a moment with Lucy."

A raven haired man came into the room to usher me and the mole away. He took us around to the back of the base, where a small room was closed off from the rest of the shack-like building. His dark eyes regarded us with distain and he grunted before leaving us, slamming the door shut behind him and encasing us in darkness.

Just great.

"What have you done?"

"I did what I had to."

I tilted my head to the side at the sound of voices as they drifted through the walls. Levy fell silent beside me, though I was unsure if she could hear the voices that I could.

"I asked you to track him, to bring him back. I didn't ask you to make bargains with a mole. You're actions are foolish, irresponsible, if you had been focusing on finding him and not chasing this creature perhaps Wendy would still be with us now."

Wow low blow old man.

Lucy was silent.

"Fix this. I don't care how, just do it. You've made your choices, use the mole if you must, but don't dig yourself deeper, Lucky. I can't lose anymore of my children."

xXx

I was distraught.

I have been reprimanded a number of times throughout my life, sometimes for small things, like leaving the light on when I was little or wondering where I shouldn't, and sometimes for larger things, like accidently setting fire to the gardens when I was twelve, but those reprimands never humiliated me. This one made me feel small and insignificant. This one _hurt._

It hurt because I knew Makarov's words were true.

The guilt was the only thing I could think about as I made my way towards the back room to let Levy out since I knew she would try to bust her way out if she was confined any longer. The dragon slayer I was less worried about, though rumors often said he was powerful and dangerous, for the moment at least, he seemed passive enough. It was a little unnerving actually.

As I neared the back I could make out the sound of Levy wailing and a steady thumping noise along with it. One of my brows rose in curiosity as I opened the door, only to be practically run over when Levy shot from the room, wailing as she went. Natsu remained where he was, thumping his head in a steady rhythm against the wall. They were eerily alike, those two.

"You'll have to stay here," I murmured before adding a quiet, "sorry," as an afterthought. He barely glanced at me, his dark eyes shifting for a moment before returning to a place on the wall.

"It's okay," he said, "I'm just glad to be rid of her for a moment."

"Levy?"

He nodded; his hair dragged against the wall and caught on the splintered wood. He grimaced as he lifted his face away from the area, pulling wood fragments from his hair.

"She's not so bad."

"You don't know her."

"Well neither do you."

"Don't have to."

I opened my mouth, a witty response on my tongue when Gray came around the corner, knocking his fist against the wall to get my attention. I turned to him, my reply dying in my throat. "They're making plans to conduct a rescue mission for Wendy, figured you'd want to be part of it."

I nodded once. Gray cast a stern look at Natsu before moving back down the hallway.

I hesitated at the door once Gray was out of sight. Natsu regarded me with a questioning gaze, curiosity swimming around in his dark orbs. Glancing over my shoulder I let out an exasperated sigh before moving into the room and shutting the door behind me.

Natsu raised his head as I sat beside him. He shifted away, but only slightly as if he was uncomfortable with being in such a close proximity to me even though it wouldn't have been the first time. I could feel his dark eyes as he continued to stare at me. They flicked, never seeming to stay in one place at a time as his nose and the space between his brows crinkled in thought.

He looked kinda cute like that.

I shook my head, ridding it of my previous thought. It was inappropriate to think of him like that. Wasn't it?

"Why are you still here?" He asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.

I sighed and pulled me knees to my chest; turning my head towards him I rested my cheek against the top of my knee. "People say . . . a lot of things about you, Natsu. I've heard every rumor and I've been hearing them since I was very small. But when I sit here, in this dark room, and look at you, and I mean _really_ look at you, well you don't quite fit into the natural description that others have created the way I thought you would. The description I had in my head is a very different Natsu than the one that sits in front of me."

He looked baffled for a moment, his mouth open and his jaw loose before his teeth snapped together and his gaze turned hard. He folded his arms and leaned against the wall. "The rumors are probably right."

I shook my head, "No. I don't believe they are."

"Why are you here, Lucy?"

Why was I here? It was a good question and one that I wasn't so sure I had the answer too. I didn't know this man, didn't know how he thought or acted and yet I was defending him against the picture that my mind had conjured just from the stories I had heard through my childhood. But as I sat beside him I could feel the comforting warmth coming from his skin and I could hear his quiet breathing and the steady rhythm of his heart and I found that I didn't particularly want to know the answer to my own question.

For once I didn't need to know the answer.

And if felt good. Liberating if only for a moment.

"I don't know," the words came as a quiet whisper and they brought his gaze towards me. The moonlight from the small window at the top of the room shown across his face, allowing me to see that his eyes reflected the color of emeralds in the light. I stared at him and he at me and no words were said for a very long moment but he held my gaze anyway, refusing to be the first one to break away.

"Perhaps I just wanted someone to listen. Someone who doesn't know me but is still willing to have a conversation about the little things, though the things that plague my mind are far from being little problems at the moment and for some reason I feel like you could be that person. It's so incredibly strange to me but then again things haven't made sense for a long time." I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and leaned my head against the same wall that had left splinters in his hair only minute before, "I miss when things made sense."

"Things never made sense."

"At one time they did, long, long ago."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just am."

"Can you prove it?"

"No."

Silence fell over the room once again. It was comfortable, serine and so very foreign to me when I had a stranger that was supposedly dangerous sitting beside me in a confined, dark room. Natsu opened his mouth as if he had something to say before closing it again but I could see that there was something on the tip of his tongue. He just wasn't sure if he should speak or not.

"You can say it."

"There was someone else with you when you were searching for me," he began. I stiffened at his words and he paused, casting a curious yet thoughtful stare my way before continuing, "She is missing?"

I nodded.

"What happened?"

I shook my head, unshed tears pooling behind my eyes, "I fucked up. I left her in the inn. It was a small, dainty little place, concealed for the most part if you didn't know what to look for. I thought it was safe, there people who owned it were kind, good. I came back to a pile of dead bodies and charred wood," I took a deep breath, "And Wendy was gone."

"She was taken?"

"Most likely," I whispered.

"Do you know who took her?"

"I—no, no I don't."

I had my suspicions. I couldn't tell him, I wouldn't because knowing the truth was far more dangerous to people like him. It was dangerous for people like me too and if I was dealing with who I thought I was then it was best to not get Natsu or anyone else involved for that matter.

I didn't confine in people often, it just wasn't who I was. I had opened up to Natsu, a complete stranger, in a way that I wouldn't open up to people who I considered close to me. Not to Gray, not to Erza, not even Wendy. It was unsettling because it was so abnormal for me and I didn't even trust him. Not in the slightest.

"What's that?"

I followed Natsu's gaze. He was staring at the window at the top of the room. It was constructed of metal wiring, most likely to replace the glass that had once been there, which had broken before we had even found the building. A small bird perched on the sill and at farther inspection I noticed it was a carrier pigeon.

And there was something attached to its leg.

I stood and moved towards the bird, grabbing it carefully I pulled the small piece of paper from its leg and then sent it back out into the night.

The contents of the message sent a chill up my spine. It felt like ice had been poured into my veins and my body stood rigidly as I stared at the small piece of paper as it quivered in my shaking hands.

_Cooperation is key, Miss Lucy. Come to the old place, you know the one. Come swiftly and come alone or she dies. We want the dragon. You have till sundown tomorrow._

_~L_

_He _was involve?

I crumpled the message in my fist. Things were no longer simple, not that they had been particularly easy to begin with but now I knew the depths to which they were willing to go in order to get what they wanted. They had brought in his assistance, which meant I had no choice in the matter anymore, I had to cooperate.

Because I wasn't dealing with just them, just the Kingdom, I was dealing with him.


End file.
